Form clamp mechanism for presses



Jan. 10, 1956 PFALLER L 2,730,045

FORM CLAMP MECHANISM FOR PRESSES Filed Sept. 6, 1952 ildiggzy GEORGE M. PFALLIER Aucus; A.$AUL

United States. Patent Wee 2,730,045 FORM CLAMP MECHANISM FOR PRESSES George M. Pfaller, Pittsburgh, and August A. San], Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pa. Application September 6, 1952, Serial No. 308,276 5 Claims. (Cl. 101--250) This invention relates to form clamp mechanism for presses. It relates more particularly to mechanism for insuring against operation of a press when the form clamps are in inoperative position.

The invention relates generally to presses to which a form is adapted to be applied on a movable bed. The invention is applicable to printing and other presses, such, for example, as cutting and creasing presses. For purposes of explanation and illustration the invention will be described as embodied in fom clamp mechanism for a press of the flat bed and cylinder type.

In a press of the flat bed and cylinder type the press bed oscillates in a plane and sheets being operated upon are successively brought into contact with a form clamped to the bed when the bed moves in one direction by being pressed against the form by a so-called impression cylinder. Upon the return movement of the bed the impression cylinder is raised so as not to engage the form.

The form is fastened to the bed by form clamps. In one well known form of structure the form may bear endwise and laterally against an end member and two side members on the bed, the bed having an open end through which the form may be introduced and removed. Form clamps are carried by the bed at the open end thereof which when the form has been introduced are moved to form clamping position and complete the retention of the form on the bed.

It is customary to make up the form in a chase at a location remote from the press and to bring the made up form in the chase to the press and place it on the press bed and clamp it in place by rendering operative the form clamps at the end of the bed. Occasionally the pressman may forget to render operative the form clamps. When that happens theform may fly off of the bed at the end of the return stroke of the bed since the movement of the bed is quickly reversed and if there is nothing to hold the form in place its inertia is likely to cause it to continue moving while the bed reverses. This causes damage and delay.

Our form clamp mechanism insures against the damage and delay incident to a form flying oil of a press bed in that we insure against the possibility that the press may be operated unless the form clamps have first been rendered operative to calmp the form in place on the bed.

We provide, in a press having a movable bed adapted to carry a form and having form clamping means connected with the bed and movable between operative form clamping position and inoperative position and means for moving the bed, connections between the form clamping means and the means for moving the bed rendering inoperative the means tor moving the bed when the form clamping means are in inoperative position. We preferably provide control means for the means for moving the bed and connections between the form clamping means and the control means mounted to actuate the control means to render inoperative the means for moving the bed when the form clamping means are in inoperative position. We preferably dispose the control means alongside (laterally of, above or below) the path of movement of the bed and provide actuating means for actuating the control means, the actuating means being carried by the bed, together with connections between the form clamping means and the actuating means moving the actuating means to actuate the control means to render inoperative the means for moving the bed when the form clamping means are in inoperative position.

2,730,045 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 We also provide, in a press having a bed adapted to carry a form and a plurality of form clamps connected with the bed and each movable between operative form clamping position and inoperative position, connections between the form clamps insuring synchronous operation thereof so that when one of the form clamps is moved to one of said positions the remainder thereof will be similarly moved. The form clamps are preferably pivotally connected with the bed and each turnable between operative form clamping position and inoperative position and the means insuring synchronous operation of the form clamps are preferably pivotally connected with the respective form clamps. By operative form clamping position is meant position in alignment with the form in the direction of movement of the bed. In one conventional form of press four form clamps are pivotally mounted at the end of the bed, although the number of form clamps may be varied as desired. Each clamp may be pivotally mounted on a screw threaded into the end of the bed so that after the clamp is turned to operative form clamping position about the axis of the screw the screw may be turned so that its head moves toward the end of the bed until it engages the clamp and presses it against the form.

We further provide, in a press having a movable bed adapted to carry a form and having form. clamping means clamping means between operative and inoperative positions and means positioned in the path of the last mentioned means and operable thereby upon movement of the form clamping means to inoperative position to render inoperative the means for moving the bed. We preferably provide spring means maintaining the shiftable means and the last mentioned means in contact in all positions of the shiftable means. The shiftable means may partake of its shifting movement laterally of the bed or in another direction transversely of the direction of movement of the bed.

In a preferred form of structure we provide means carried by the bed movable between a first position rendering operative the means for moving the bed and a second position rendering inoperative the means for moving the bed together with means connected with the form clamping means shiftable transversely of the direction of movement of the bed upon movement of the form clamping means between operative and inoperative positions and connected with the means carried by the bed moving the same to the second position thereof when the form clamping means are moved to inoperative position.

When control means for the means for moving the bed are disposed alongside the path of movement of the bed and actuating means are provided as above mentioned for actuating the control means the actuating means are preferably carried by the bed, desirably at a side thereof, movable between a first position in which the means for moving the bed is operative and a second position actuating the control means to render inoperative the means for moving the bed, and means are preferably provided as above described connected with the form clamping means shiftable transversely of the direction of movement of the bed upon movement of the form clamping means between operative and inoperative positions and connected with the actuating means moving the same to the second position thereof when the form clamping means are moved to inoperative position.

Desirably the means for moving the bed are electrically operated, in which case the control means may comprise a switch disposed alongside the path of movement of the bedrenderhigwrelectrieallyoperated means 'fo'r'moving the bed. operativeilL aiirst. positionof the. switch. and inoperative in a second position of the switch. The actuating means may comprise an actuating member pivoted ationeiendrtozthezbed and extending generally longitudinally'. of the bedlurnable about its pivotal connection with thevbed betweeuafirst position in which the'switchis in itsfirstv position and a. second position actuating. the switch:to.itssecond'position together with means pivotally: connected with the actuating member at a point remotefromeits pivotalconnection with the bed and also connected with the form clamping means shiftable trans versely of;the direction of movement of the bedupon movement of theformiclampingmeans between operative andsinoperativepositions moving the actuating member to its second position when the. form clamping means are moved to inoperative position.

Other details, objectsand advantages of the invention will becomerapparent as the. following description of' a presentzpreferred' embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanyingdrawings we have shown a present preferred embodiment'of theinvention in which Figure 1' is a'diagrarnmatic fragmentary end view of a flat. bed. and. cylinder press showing our form clamp mechanism; and

Figure.2 isia diagrammatic fragmentary plan view of a portion of the structure shownin' Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shownafiatbedand cylinder press including a stationary frame designated generally by reference numeral 2 in which is mounted in conventional manner for rectilinear oscillation in a horizontal plane a bed 3. The bed hasiatits sides longitudinally extendingbearers oneof which is:shownat'4, one of .whose functions is to laterally confine the :form-which is laid upon the bed. There are two such bearers, one atieach longitudinally extending edge of the bed. The bed also has a transverse member 4a at the:end thereof opposite. the end viewed in Figure 1. The form is laid upon the bed 3 between the bearers and against the transverse member 4a above mentioned. The form is adapted to be clamped in place by four form clamps 5-onlytwo of which are shown in the drawings. Each ofv theformv clamps 5 is pivoted to the end of the bed .bya screw 6 and is adapted to be turned about the axis of its screw between a generally uprightoperative position as shown in Figure l, in which position it clamps the form in place: on the bed when the screw-is tightened, and. an. inoperative position turned in the counterclockwise. direction from the. operative position viewing Figurel through an angle of approximately 90. A stop pin 7 is .provided adjacent eachclampS limiting the turning. movement of the clamp in the clockwise direction viewing Figure 1. to determined its operative position.- Weprovide abar.8 extending transversely of the direction of movement of the bed and specifically, in the form shown, laterally ofi the bed, having. fourdownwardly extending lugs 9having the same transverse spacing as the clamps .5 and each lug-.9 being pivotally connected with one of theclamps 5 by a pivot pin 10. Only two of the four 1ugs'9 are'shown: in. .the drawings. Each of the pivot pins is disposed directlyabove the corresponding'screw 6-when the corresponding clamp 5sis in operative position. Thus the bar '8 connects together all of the clamps 5 so that when any, one of the clamps 5 is moved to a particular position the remainder of the:clamps will be similarly moved. The provision of .the bar 8 not only has'the-advantage of insuring: synchronous movement of all of the clamps whereby in turnto insure that when one of the clamps iisin operative position all of the clamps will be inoperativeposition .but also has the further advantage that by operationof oneclamp, or,'indeed,by operation of the bar 8, all of the clamps may be simultaneously turned, thus savingthe. time required to individually turn the respective clamps... The. left hand lug 9 viewingFigurel 4 irasanextension 11" rojecting"toward'theieft and'having itsleft-handend-iaoe 'shaped to provide a lower substan tially vertical portion 12 and an upper concavely curved portion 13 as shown in Figure 1.

Projecting horizontally from the end of the bed adjacent the ieroh and s'ideithereof-viewingFigure 1 are tWOpinS 14 which serve as supports for a'slid'e 15 lying against the end faceofthe bed andhavinganelongate'd slot 16 extendingtransversely of the bed through which the pins 14 project. A washer 17 and a cotter pin 18 may be applied to either or "both of the pins 14 to maintain the slide 15in' place; Thusthe'pins'14-support the'slid'e 15 for rectilinear sliding movement transversely of the bed;

Carried by andproiec'ting horizontally frorn'th'eslide' 15 is a pin 19 against which'the" left-hand faceofthe left-hand log? is adapted "to' bear as sh'own'in' Figure" l. arried by theslide 1S andprojectingdownwardly-therefrom is a pin 20 to'which' is'connected one end are ten sion-coi'l'spri'ng'fi theo'th'er endof whichi's connected to ap'i'n 22 carriedby: the bed. The coil spring'21' maintainsthe" pin" 19 always in en agement with the left handface' of the left-hand lug 9." 7

Pivoted to the'be'd 3"ata portion'3z'z' at a side "thereof by a verttcai'pivet-zs is'a bar 24 shown as being curved so that it is'somewhat'convex 'atit's outer face as shown" in Fi ure 2. The slide 15 has a projection 25' which extends toward'the left'vie'wing Figure 1, and the end of the barl l-opposite the end which is pivoted to the bed at 23 overlies 'thei'extension' 25 and is pivoted thereto by a pivot pin 2 6. The bedis operated in conventional fashion by an'ele'ctricmotor. In the motor circuit is a switch '27? carried by the frame 2- and having a downwardly' projecting switch operating shaft 28 carryin an arnt29 which inturn carries a roller 30 positioned to be engaged bythe bar'24.' The bar 24 has two positions shown in Figure 2, one in full'lines and the other in chain'lines. When the bar 2'4i's in the full line position viewingFigure 2 the switch 27 is closed and "the bed operating. motor is operative. When the bar 24is in thechainline position of Figure 2, i. e., positioned generally outwardly relatively to the bed, the switch 27" isoperated through the engagement of the bar 24 with the roller" 3010 open the switch-and render inoperative the bed' dr'iving'motor.

When the clamps 5 are inoperative position as shown in Figure 1 with each clamp, disposed upright with its right-hand side face againstthe corresponding stop pin 7 the bar 8 is in its extreme right-hand position viewingv that figure. When the bar Sis in that position the pin 19 carried by the slide 15 engages the portion 12 0f the left-hand face of the left-hand h1g9 as shown, the tension coilspring 21 maintaining the pin 19 always in contact with the left-hand'face of the left-hand lug 9 asabove explained. Thus whenthe bar 8 is in its extreme righthandposition viewing Figure l the slide 15 is likewise in its extreme right-"handposition and thebar 24 is-in its position first referred to above in which it is relatively retracted from the switch 27'and the switch is closed permitting normaloperation of'the press.' When, however, the clamps 5 are moved to inoperative position, i. e., turned through an angle of about in the counterclockwise direction viewing Figure l. from the positions inwhich theyv are shown in that figure, the bar 8' moves the switch and render the bed operating; motor-in Thusour form-clamp mechanism insures operative. against damage and delay. which. may i result byoperation of the press with the form clamps in inoperative position. It will, of course, be understood that the switch 27, being mounted on the stationary frame, remains in a fixed location as the bed oscillates during operation of the press. When the bar 24 is in its outer position as shown in chain lines in Figure 2 so as to open the switch 27 it will open the switch in any relative position of the bed relatively to the switch, although the bar may be so designed as to cooperate with the switch only when the bed is near the end of its stroke in the direction toward the end of the bed viewed in Figure 1 since the only time when the clamps 5 will be rendered inoperative is when it is desired to remove or apply the form which can be done only when the bed is completely removed from beneath the impression cylinder.

While we have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a press having a movable bed adapted to carry a form and having a plurality of form clamps connected with the bed and each mounted for swinging movement between a position in alignment with the form and a position out of alignment with the form and electrically operated means for moving the bed, a switch disposed alongside the path of movement of the bed rendering the electrically operated means for moving the bed operative in a first position of the switch and inoperative in a second position of the switch, actuating means for actuating the switch carried by the bed movable between a first position in which the switch is in its first position and a second position actuating the switch to its second position and means connected with the form clamps insuring synchronous operation thereof so that when one of the form clamps is swung to one of said positions the remainder thereof will be similarly swung, the last mentioned means being shiftable transversely of the direction of movement of the bed upon swinging of the form clamps between said positions and operatively con nected with the actuating means moving the same to the second position thereof when the form clamps are swung to inoperative position.

2. In a press having a rectilinearly oscillatable bed adapted to carry a form and having a plurality of form clamps connected with the bed and each mounted for swinging movement between a position in alignment with the form and a position out of alignment with the form and electrically operated means for oscillating the bed, a switch disposed alongside the path of oscillation of the bed rendering the electrically operated means for oscillating the bed operative in a first position of the switch and inoperative in a second position of the switch, actuating means for actuating the switch carried by the bed movable between a first position in which the switch is in its first position and a second position actuating the switch to 1ts second position and connecting means connected with the form clamps insuring synchronous operation thereof so that when one of the form clamps is swung to one of said positions the remainder thereof will be similarly swung, the last mentioned means being shiftable transversely of the direction of movement of the bed upon swinging of the form clamps between said positions and operatively connected with the actuating means moving the same to the second position thereof when the form clamps are swung to inoperative position.

3. In a press having a movable bed adapted to carry a form and having a plurality of form clamps connected with the bed and each mounted for swinging movement between a position in alignment with the form and a position out of alignment with the form and electrically operated means for moving the bed, a switch disposed alongside the path of movement of the bed rendering the electrically operated means for moving the bed operative in a first position of the switch and inoperative in a second position of the switch, an actuating member for actuating the switch pivoted at one end to the bed and turnable about its pivoted connection with the bed between a first position in which the switch is in its first position and a second position actuating the switch to its second position and connecting means connected with the form clamps insuring synchronous operation thereof so that when one of the form clamps is swung to one of said positions the remainder thereof will be similarly swung, the last mentioned means being shiftable transversely of the direction of movement of the bed upon swinging of the form clamps between said positions and operatively connected with the actuating means moving the same to the second position thereof when the form clamps are swung to inoperative position.

4. In a press having a rectilinearly oscillatable bed adapted to carry a form and having a plurality of form clamps connected with the bed and each mounted for swinging movement between a position in alignment with the form and a position out of alignment with the form and electrically operated means for oscillating the bed, a switch disposed alongside the path of oscillation of the bed rendering the electrically operated means for oscillating the bed operative in a first position of the switch and inoperative in a second position of the switch, an elongated actuating member for actuating the switch pivoted at one end to the bed and extending generally longitudinally of the bed and turnable about its pivotal connection with the bed between a first position in which the switch is in its first position and a second position actuating the switch to its second position and connecting means connected with the form clamps insuring synchronous operation thereof so that when one of the form clamps is swung to one of said positions the remainder thereof will be similarly swung, the last mentioned means being shiftable transversely of the direction of movement of the bed upon swinging of the form clamps between said positions and operatively connected with the actuating member moving the same to the second position thereof when the form clamps are swung to inoperative position.

5. In a press having a movable bed adapted to carry a form and having a plurality of form clamps connected with the bed and each mounted for swinging movement between a position in alignment with the form and a position out of alignment with the form and electrically operated means for moving the bed, a switch disposed alongside the path of movement of the bed rendering the electrically operated means for moving the bed operative in a first position of the switch and inoperative in a second position of the switch, actuating means for actuating the switch carried by the bed movable between a first position in which the switch is in its first position and a second position actuating the switch to its second position and connecting means connected with the form clamps insuring synchronous operation thereof so that when one of the form clamps is swung to one of said positions the remainder thereof will be similarly swung, the last mentioned means being shiftable transversely of the direction of movement of the bed upon swinging of the form clamps between said positions and including cam means moving the actuating means to the second position thereof when the form clamps are swung to inoperative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,257,833 Fankboner Feb. 26, 1918 1,257,834 Fankboner Feb. 26, 1918 1,340,355 Wood May 18, 1920 1,903,804 Brugmann Apr. 18, 1933 2,200,284 Lewis -Q. May 14, 1940 2,446,704 Lacure Aug. 10, 1948 2,645,177 Dressel et al July 14, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 654,461 France Nov. 29, 1928 

